As One of the Power Conferences, the SEC Has Often Been a Battleground

As one of the Power Conferences, the SEC has often been a battleground for some of the fiercest rivalries in college basketball

As one of the Power Conferences, the SEC has often been a battleground for some of the fiercest rivalries in college basketball, but this season? It’s been chaos in the best way possible.

With powerhouses like Dawn Staley’s South Carolina and Vic Schaefer’s Texas dunking it out for the top spot, the race for the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament has come down to a wild scenario. A coin might determine the winner. Yes, a literal coin flip could decide whether Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks or Texas Longhorns earn the No. 1 seed from one of the deepest conferences in the country.

For a coach like Staley, who has built a program based on precision and prowess, leaving something this important to total randomness is maddening, to say the least. The head coach would lash out on X, but here we are.

Even with a top SEC ranking, Dawn Staley is facing a crisis

So here’s the scenario: South Carolina and Texas enter their final regular-season games with identical 14-1 records against SEC opponents. The teams have squared off twice this season, splitting the pair of matchups. If Dawn Staley’s team beats Kentucky and Texas takes down Florida, the SEC will have exhausted its tiebreaker, resulting in a coin flip to determine which team earns the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament.

Yes, it sounds absurd but it is reality. The madness may result from recent conference realignment which has thrown a wrench into scheduling throughout the league. In Texas and Oklahoma’s first year in the SEC, certain teams didn’t face other teams twice, causing an unbalanced system that has now resulted in this strange scenario.

Staley isn’t happy about it, and how could she be? “We control our own destiny,” Staley said recently, “and then if we take care of business and Texas takes care of business, our fate is in a coin toss. Yay.” And for as entertaining as all of the drama might be for fans, for Staley and South Carolina, it’s a big swing for the fences that could dramatically impact their path through the postseason.

This isn’t just about bragging rights or pride—there’s a lot riding on that No. 1 seed. The top spot in the SEC tournament gives you a much easier path through the bracket, avoiding tougher matchups early on.

What’s your perspective on:

Dawn Staley's fate in a coin toss—Is this fair for a powerhouse like South Carolina?

Have an interesting take?

This hasn’t been as easy a season as South Carolina is used to having. Already with three losses – rare for a program that went undefeated last season – including a blowout to UConn that threw them off their game. And although they responded with a couple of dominant performances against Ole Miss and Vanderbilt afterward, securing that No. 1 seed will give them much needed momentum heading into March.

But if they’re put into a coin flip with Texas? Well, let’s just say Staley might be huffing and puffing until the verdict is revealed.

So what needs to happen for Dawn Staley’s South Carolina to avoid leaving their fate to chance? First things first—they have to beat Kentucky in their regular-season finale. That won’t be easy; Kentucky has been solid all year, standing 22-5 and 4th in the SEC.

Currently, the Gamecocks are ranked no.5 overall in the NCAA Tournament committee’s second in-season reveal of the top 16 seeds. If it were to lose to 15th ranked Kentucky, Staley’s squad would suffer in NET rankings and tournament seeding. To leave it at ‘what if,’ South Carolina needs to battle its 3-point woes. Because Georgia Amoore won’t be letting them have it easy.

The 5-foot-6 senior guard is averaging 18.9 points per game and leads the team with 201 3-point attempts. Moreover, Clara Strack is averaging 15 points and 9.6 rebounds while the best the Gamecocks have mustered is 13.2 in Joyce Edwards. Defense will be the key and the freshman will be put to the test.

But even with a win, they’re going to need some help from Florida in an upset of Texas.

“[Texas will] probably want us to drop a game. I hope they drop a game, too — take it out of the commissioner’s hands,” she jokes now. But it very well isn’t the scenario she wants to find herself in. Both Gamecocks and Longhorns hold over 95% prediction in favor for their respective games. Will it be Colonial Life Arena that erupts or Moody Center? Highly likely, both.